species billion humans domesticated

Livestock is a collective term for domesticated animals that are kept, mostly for the production of meat, milk, wool, or other products. The most common species are cattle, pigs, sheep, goats, horses, and chickens. The term is not used in reference to animals that are kept as pets or companions.

Livestock are domesticated species, which have been genetically modified over time through the artificial selection of desirable traits by humans, with a view to increasing the docility of the animals, their size and productivity, their quality as agricultural products, and other culturally desired features. Some species of livestock no longer occur in their original, non-domesticated, free-living form, and they are totally dependent on humans for their continued existence. However, humans are also substantially dependent on their livestock for sustenance and other purposes. Consequently, the symbiotic relationship between humans and their domestic livestock could be termed a mutualism, that is, a mutually beneficial relationship between two species.

Some of the domesticated species of livestock have become enormously abundant in cultivation. The world's population of sheep and goats has been estimated at about 1.7 billion, while there are some 1.3 billion cows, 0.85 billion pigs, 0.12 billion horses, and 0.16 billion camels and water buffalo. Some smaller species of livestock are even more abundant, including an estimated 10-11 billion fowl, mostly chickens. In comparison, the total population of humans is about 5.8 billion individuals. The populations of species of both livestock and humans are growing quite rapidly, in the case of humans at about 1.7% per year or 93 million people per year.

The domestic rabbit (Oryctolagus cuniculus) has been derived from the old-world or European rabbit. The domestic rabbit is mostly raised as a source of meat, and for its fur, although the latter is of relatively poor quality.

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Cows are large animals in the family Bovidae that are kept as sources of meat, hides, and milk. Cows are grazing animals, eating grasses and other types of herbaceous plants. The domestic cow or ox (Bos taurus) is a massive animal with a heavy body, a short neck with a dewlap hanging beneath, two hollow horns, and a long, tufted tail. The natural tendency of these animals is to live in herds of ma…

Domestic sheep and goats are horned species of livestock that are commonly raised around the world. The domestic sheep (Ovis aries) is an ancient domesticated species, probably native to southern Europe, the Middle East, and North Africa. However, the domestic sheep has been widely kept as livestock for thousands of years, and its exact lineage is not known. Sheep are very hardy animals in alpine,…

The domestic horse (Equus caballus) is descended from the wild horse of the steppes of Eurasia. Horses are mostly used for riding and as draft animals, and they are also eaten in many countries. There are many varieties of horses. The Arabian horse has been bred for great speed, and is the most common type of riding and racing horse. Although quite fleet, this breed does not have great endurance, …

The dromedary, or Arabian one-humped camel (Camelus dromedarius) is a species native to the deserts of either or both Asia and northern Africa, although today it only occurs in domestication. This species has a single, large, fatty hump on its back, and it can tolerate extremely dry conditions. Dromedaries are used as pack and riding animals, and as sources of meat, milk, and hides. The bactrian c…

By far, the most abundant species of cultivated fowl is the chicken (Gallus gallus), derived from the red jungle fowl of the tropical forests of south and southeastern Asia. The chicken has been domesticated for thousands of years, and may today be the world's most abundant bird, albeit in cultivation. Billions of chickens are eaten each year by people around the world, as are even larger n…

In modern times, livestock is raised using various systems of husbandry, which can vary greatly in their intensity of management. The oldest, and most simple systems commonly involve animals that are locally free-ranging, and are penned in large fenced areas, or return to their designated shelters in each evening. Whenever these animals are required as food, for milking, or to sell for cash, indiv…

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